Mike James can hit the 3, averaged 1.5 TOs for the run and gun Celtics (amazingly averaged more TOs for the Pistons in 19 mpg) playing 30 minutes and best of all, the head master himself, Pat Riley said that MJ was the hardest working player he'd ever coached. More than Magic, Kareem. Are you kidding me? With JVG is the coach, MJ would fit like an O'Henry Heiress's Bra. Keon Clark would come cheaply as well. He can be had for less than $2M a year, has playoff experience from both conferences and is healed from his litany of injuries. Sign him up on a year trial offer with a team option for the 2nd and we have a low risk legit center that could play with Tmac, JJ, Mo and Lue/MJ in a speed lineup. He'd be a great different look from Yao and could also play PF. 'Reef - OK, everyone on the previous thread dogged the guy because of what he said in Portland. Also valid points on him playing on losing teams, stuffing stats and not making them better. Here's my rebuttal: No F'ing way I'd want to stick around in Portland. Would you want to be a PF/SF and share time with Randolf, Patterson and Miles? Hell No. Those guys are the ones that will never win. As for playing on 'Couver and ATL - Bibby couldn't help the Grizz either. The Hawks' cupboard was bare last year and no team with Big Dog Robinson will ever win. 'Reef is a standup guy. Plays hard everynight and will do whatever JVG asks him to do on D. He'd be perfect for the Rockets because he's proven he can board. Hell Juwon couldn't average 10 boards for the lowly Nuggets 2 years ago. Mo Taylor is an albatross for the otherwise masterful CD signings. Get this guy. He'd be a great scoring option, rebounder and intangible guy. The only question is, how? I'd gladly give up Juwon and Nachbar. No one will ever take Taylor unless we're taking Grant Hill in return.
i dont think reef is a big enough upgrade over motay or jhoward to warrant giving up the assets it would take it get him.
Mike James is my guy too. The guy knows how to share the ball from having to play with Walker and Pierce, plays good solid defense and can hit shots when called upon. The best thing is he would come cheap. Clark would be a risk, but worth taking for the right, low price. Shareef is a long shot. A real long shot.
The Rockets have made a living off of long shots. Francis, Cat and Cato for Tmac?!?!?! Wow, everyone knew Steve and JVG had reached the abyss and you get Tmac in return? Barkley wanting out of Fenix? I won't mention the Biatch that came from Chi-town. My point is the Rockets have been a haven for good players and superstars either needing a place to ball or get into a good situation, where there value is considered lower because they want out of their current teams. I think Portland would bite on a Juwon and picks/$/Nachbar trade. I'd do it in a minute. 'Reef wants out with no guarantees for next year needed. If we don't want him, he comes off the books. We're in for Howard for another, what...4 years? By that time, he'll be averaging 2 boards. This is all speculation in terms of trades, but my point is that I'd take an expiring contract for the non-impact/replaceable players we have any day of the week. Particularly one that has exhibited 20-10 skills and doesn't have a history of being a headcase.
Whatever happened to Clark? A couple years ago he was like a dunking/swatting machine and since then all I heard about him was how his daddy's getting put in the can for killing his buddy over a bicycle
The problem with SAR, as I see it, is what would Blazers want -- from anyone? 14 mil off the books might be worth keeping him for one season. If he bought into the idea of a 3 they could be very dangerous.
That said... if SAR bought into the idea of playing the three for the ROX with JJ backing up the 2 and the 3... we could be very dangerous.
Blazers are like stacked in all positions..no superstars. Mike James. I like him too. He played well in Finals. And yeah Celtics days. I would like to get him. Keon Clark..I am unsure of him..I remember him in Sacramento though and he was pretty good. He'd be a good backup. SAR i don't think we'll get him. He wouldn't be bad at all. I don't think. Great posts transamerica
I like Keon coming to the Rockets. Mike James is 29 and played in the NBA for 3 seasons. He is an older version of Damon Jones. Mike and Damon 's numbers are almost the same. Let's please forget about SAR. He should not be an option just because he is rumored to the Nets. First, he is making 14.6 MILLION this year. Second, he does NOT want to play the 3. Third, he is a soft NBA player that will perform at a higher level in the East. Forth, he is not a great defensive player. Please stop with the SAR post. Reef is not worth near the BIG money he is getting.
i disagree, id like to have him, but he did not play well in the finals at all, rather the whole playoffs, may i add that he only avg .8 points in the finals, with an assist to to ratio of .4, he did play well in the season, but not in the playoffs, having cumulative playoff statistics of 2.6 points, 1.1 assits, .68 turnovers, FG % of .396 (FGM/A 21-53), in 22 playoff games, averaging 8.9 minutes per game.
Yeah, you are right. Those numbers aren't that great. I'd probably rather have Antonio Daniels too..but I don't know if we are gonna get him or not. :/ Any of these point guards are solid for now. Brent Barry man...but he is not a defender..he won't have to play with Bruce Bowen on his team. Well he will but no that much. Man.
I disagree with everything you had to say there in regards to SAR. He does not want to play the 3 for the Blazers. He is not soft. Everyone from the West plays at a higher level in the East. No one on the ROX is a great defensive player. What is your point on that one? Yes.. you are confused.
If 'Reef comes to the Rockets, the guy is playing the Power Forward spot. My guess is that if a trade is at all possible, we'll have to send one of our PFs/SFs in return. What better option than Juwon? He can basically be 'Reef in Portland for the Blaze, a guy coming off the bench to back up Zach. Like I said, for salary, attitude, rebounding and offensive reasons, 'Reef coming to the Rocks makes sense. Let's get past the is Reef a 3 or a 4. If he comes to the Rocks, he's a 4, because going back to the Blaze would be Juwon and others, or Mo Taylor (pipe dream).
Let's see who is confused. Reef is making 14.6 Million. Yes, I will say it again. $14,600,000. Is Reef worth that amount of money even on a expiring contract? Reef obviusly wants to go to the East. Second, Reef said that he didn't want to play the 3. Read the story below for more info. Third, You stated a great point. You said, "Everyone from the West plays at a higher level in the East." So we want to pay 14.6 for one season and for a player that will play at a lower level??? Sounds confusing to me. Forth, "No one on the ROX is a great defensive player." Yao and JJ are not great defensive players. We have trying to get out of extreme high paying salaries for players. You want us to get back into that trap. I am not the one who is confused.
Here is that article for you. Blazer demands a trade Shareef Abdur-Rahim wants a meeting with team officials and threatens not to play Tuesday, July 27, 2004 JASON QUICK Trail Blazers forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim, despondent over the Blazers' rejection of a trade that could have sent him to the New Jersey Nets, told The Oregonian on Monday that he wants a meeting with Blazers management to emphasize that he will not report to training camp unless he is traded. "I hope it doesn't come to (a holdout), but if it does, it does," Abdur-Rahim said. "I don't want that to happen; it's not me and I don't think it's indicative of who I am. But at the same time, when I left Portland after the season, I was put under the impression of one thing (being traded), and now it has changed." Agent Aaron Goodwin said Abdur-Rahim might go straight to the top of the Blazers' hierarchy -- owner Paul Allen -- because Goodwin's sources are telling him that the Blazers are saying Allen was the one who vetoed a recent trade proposal to New Jersey. "Paul needs to understand that Shareef is not coming back there," Goodwin said. "It's getting to the point where it's ridiculous. I guess they don't see it as a problem, and I guess at some point they think that Shareef is going to say, 'Forget it, I'll play (small forward) for them.' But that is not the case. Portland, for whatever reason, is holding Shareef hostage and it's unfortunate." Abdur-Rahim said he left a postseason meeting with general manager John Nash and coach Maurice Cheeks with the impression that he would be traded. Now, however, he said Nash and Cheeks are telling him that he will be the team's starting small forward, while backing up Zach Randolph at power forward. Abdur-Rahim said this new strategy puzzles him because he doesn't play small forward and everyone on the team knows that Darius Miles is best suited for that position. "My problem with that is if you started Darius at small forward all of last year -- and Darius is supposed to be a big part of the Blazers' future -- and now I'm going to start there?" Abdur-Rahim said. "That's creating a crazy situation. What is Darius supposed to think about that? And for the team? That's not good. I don't want to be in a situation where it's uncomfortable. "And last season, I didn't even split time at the four, and now all of a sudden you want to start me at the three and have me back up at the four? I just want to know what is really going on. Are they trying to keep me to save luxury tax dollars the next season, or what? I just want to sit down and get some straight talk." The crux of the dispute is that Abdur-Rahim, 27, thinks he is still in his prime and should play extensive minutes at his natural, power forward position. Blazers officials indicate he is not better than Randolph, a blossoming power forward who won the NBA's Most Improved Player Award, and thus should be his backup. The Blazers' solution is to play Abdur-Rahim for about 24 minutes a game at small forward, and 12 minutes at power forward when Randolph rests. Abdur-Rahim's solution is that he should be traded to a team where he can start at power forward. That could have become reality last week, but Goodwin said the Blazers turned down a proposed trade from New Jersey that would have sent shooting guard Kerry Kittles, shooting guard Lucious Harris, power forward Aaron Williams and a first-round pick to Portland for Abdur-Rahim. "They just tossed it aside," Goodwin said of the Blazers. "It wasn't like it was a team that didn't have a good deal on the table; this was an excellent deal on the table and it could have solved a problem." Nash would not comment on whether the Nets proposed that trade, and he said he is not concerned with Abdur-Rahim's threat to hold out of training camp in October if he is not traded, saying that he will be fined accordingly, with the amount increasing each day. Abdur-Rahim, who is set to make $14.6 million next season, said he is prepared to absorb as many fines as it takes. "It's not a good situation," Goodwin said. "For them to try and mold him into a (small forward) when he is proven to be one of the more dominant (power forwards) in the league is wrong. "So he has two options: to continue to allow his spiral in Portland; or he takes a stance to get out of Portland. Right now, he is choosing to take a stance." Cheeks on Monday said he has spoken recently with Abdur-Rahim, a conversation in which he told Abdur-Rahim that if he is indeed on the Blazers' roster next season, the majority of his playing time would be at small forward. "For us, we certainly can't move Zach out of his position, so we have to find a place for Shareef, and that is (small forward)," Cheeks said. "When I told him that, he said he doesn't want to play a three; that was his reaction." Nash said he thinks Abdur-Rahim, who averaged 22.8 minutes in 32 games with the Blazers last season, can play 30 minutes a game next season with Portland. "What we would envision is Shareef playing in a three-forward rotation, with Zach, Darius and Shareef getting the lion's share of minutes. I would see him playing significantly more than he played for us last year. He is a terrific player, and if he is on our roster, he should be on the floor." Nash said he hasn't ruled out trading Abdur-Rahim, but at the moment, no team has made a desirable offer. "I continue to talk to every team in the league," Nash said. "But I know what is available and what is not. Perhaps what is not available now may later become available. We couldn't have made the (Rasheed Wallace trade) last summer, last fall, or even last December. It didn't become available until February. We have made teams aware of what we would do, and in many cases, we have been rejected." Abdur-Rahim, however, said he can't handle another season of swallowing his pride and watching from the bench. He said his career averages (20.1 points, 8.2 rebounds) are too stellar, and his age (27) young enough to be a pawn in the Blazers' money-saving scheme. "Don't put me back in the same position as last season. I did it for half the season last year because it wasn't the time to discuss it," Abdur-Rahim said. "I'm not trying to be a distraction, but you can't tell me I'm going to start at the three when you have another kid here who has proven himself. "The only point I'm trying to make is, don't take the (professional) way I handle things as a weakness that can be taken advantage of. I've said this to John and I've said it to Maurice: Find a different situation for me. "And if I have to sit out and do whatever I have to do, then I will do it. I don't want to, but I will."
SAR was one of my favorite players, back since his Grizzlies days. And I have to tell you, this guy is a total nut. His work ethic is so horrible, and I cannot believe I ever defended this guy. No he's not in it for the money, but he only does well on bad teams. Memphis/Vancouver, Atlanta, and now he's on an underachieving team that wants him play a position that would decrease his scoring. Know that the Blazers have NVE, theyre gonna limit everyone else's shots. Reef, used to be a great player, he let it all go to his head. I dont want Boki to go, Howard hasnt had the chance to prove himself to Houston. Mike James can be inconsistent, and his Celtic days werent anything special, IMO. Antonio Daniels is a good choice, but he is slow, and nothing special when it comes to stealing. Though he is a great defensive presence. Damon Jones, I liked him too, but he tries to show off. He doesnt know when to cool it off. His Assist to Turnover ratio is 2nd in the league (DAniels is 1st), but he is inconsitent. He can dump 15 on night, and then the next game he goes 2 for 8. Keon Clark, has been called a slacker, but I like him. When he played for the Kings, he was a great role player.
